Loons and other birds

Well, thanks very, very much to ARay who cheered me up this evening after a day of dealing with all variety of loon. Today it was insurance companies and their representatives -- ones purporting to have something to do with "travel safety assistance" for the traveller and expatriate (repatriation of remains, etc.). After calling the one most recommended and being transferred innumerable times, I got the distinct impression there was nothing on the other end but a fat man and a desk. Maybe a few papers and a fan. That's it. Inspired absolutely no confidence, but at the end of the day I was tired. And I found I could bypass the fat man and pay online, so I did. Also looked into pet insurance for Nemo and it sounds like a very much more reasonable undertaking; maybe they'll insure me? At least for my yearly shots.

While trying to find info re insurance, I ran across this -- very nearly the highlight of my day -- on one of the UT travel pages:

"Pack your condoms...
Beside their primary function, condoms can come in very handy when you're travelling. Infantrymen (and women) as well as seasoned jungle travelers use them to carry surprisingly large volumes of water among other things. They are also good waterproof covers or containers. They can be used as temporary fan-belts in cars, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. Condoms can be filled with ice and placed on swollen painful joints to decrease inflammation and discomfort.
(Source: Bugs, Bites & Bowels, Dr. Jane Wilson Howarth)"


Hmm. Well, good to know I suppose.

So after a hectic day had a lovely dinner followed by Mom's great coffee and then outside for a bit of humming bird watching. We've got several pair who have taken up residence around us and I hadn't realized they make so much noise or that they can be still for such long periods of time. I'm sure this was known to everyone else and it seems perfectly reasonable, but I've always thought of them as perpetual darters. Unlike sharks, it seems they can light on occasion. Like sharks, however, apparently they can be very aggressive. Though they don't attack people. At least not yet. I'll keep you posted.

Final note, the fellowship people want me to send monthly, online "dispatches" from ar and bo for their webpage. Why not? If it's good, I'll let everyone know when the first one gets posted. Probably some time in Sept.